Machine for hackling and ending flax



No. 625,035. Patented May l6, I899.

' R. W. KNOX.

MACHINE FOR HAGKLING AND ENDING FLAX.

. (Application filed Kay 27, 189B.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESS ES= ROBERT'WILU am Mon ms HTTORNEYS- m: Norms rerunsco, vuorau'rnou WASHINGTON n. (:4

(N0 Model.)

yvn'nssses= N "Patanted Nay l6, I899. 1 R. W. KNOX.

MACHINE F08 HAOKLING AND ENDING FLAX.

m ummn mm m 21,1898. 1 2 Sheets-Shoat 21.

INVENTOR ROBERT wuunm KNox NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. KNOX, OF KILBIRNIE, SCOTLAND.

MACHINE FOR HACKLING AND ENDING FLAX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,036, dated May 16,1899. Application filed May 27, 1898. Serial No. 681,941. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LROBERT WILLIAM Knox, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, Scotland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Machinesfor Hackling and Ending Flax and other Like Fibers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in and relating'to machinesfor hackling and ending flax and other like fibers.

Heretofore in this class of machines the ending or detaching 0f theendsof the fibers has been performed in such a manner that said endingtakes place at one uniform length in all the sets of fibers.

By these improvements the fibers are ended or out off at Variouslengths, according to the length of fibers inserted into the machine,and whereby loss of flax will be obviated and increased efficiencyobtained. This is accomplished by having a reciprocating frame car--'Figure 1 represents an end elevation, and i Fig. 2 a side elevation,broken away, of the; ending part of a flax-hackling machine fitted iwith my improvements, while Fig. 3 is asection of the slide-guides onthe frame, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1; and Fig. tis a sectionaldetail.

Referring to the drawings, the flax Ct is inserted in a holder andchannel A and also gripped between movable gripping-plates A, which arecarried on a reciprocating frame A and moved downward until the ends ofthe fibers a pass between a pair of nipping or cutting-off rollers B orequivalent devices, where they are cut ofi, all so far in a usualmanner.

By these improvements the ending is ef fected according to the length offibers in the holderA without stopping the machine. This is accomplishedby making the frame B, carrying the nipping-rollers B, toreciprocate ormove up and down and cut off the ends of fiber according to the lengthof the latter. One means of effecting this, as shown in the drawings,would be as follows: A bar b, with an index-face b, rests on a bracket12 on the frame B andfis mounted to work through a guide B in the frameA carrying the holders A, and opening and closing gripping-plates A.This bar Z) in the upward motionof the frame is carried upward, and asit lies parallel to the hanging fibers a in holder A the figures on thegraduated index I) show the attendant at what length the fibers shouldbe ended or cut off. A corresponding index bar or plate 0 is securedparallelly on fixed frame of the machine, and a pointer c" is mounted onthe frame 13, carrying the nipping or breaking rollers B, which travelin front of this index. The attendant then turns a handwheel 0, whichoperates mechanism to raise or lower the frame B, carrying the rollersB, a distance corresponding to the figure at which the pointer o isopposite on index 0. This mechanism may consist of a spindle O, on theend of which the hand-wheel O is mounted, said spindle 0' having apinion 0 gearing into a spur-wheel C on a short parallel spindle C and atoothed pinion-wheel C on this latter spindle C gearing into the teethof a bar-rack C secured by lugs to the frame B, carrying thenipping-rollers B. Eccentric, lever, or other equivalent mechanism maybe substituted to reciprocate the frame B. The gripping-plateguide-rollers F are mounted in brackets in the reciprocating frame B,one of them being counterweighted, so as to act on the plates A to gripthe fibers a when ending these. Rods E are attached to the frame B bylugs e, and a rod 6 is connected from these duplex rods E to a band 6which passes around a pulley E, and the other ping-rollers may beadjusted to various positions with respect to said gripping devices,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2.. In a machine for hackling flax or other like fibers, the combinationwith gripping devices, of a nipping device, movably mounted on the frameof the machine, mechanism for raising and lowering said nipping devicewith- 1 out stopping the machine, and means for indicating the positionat which said nipping device must be fixed to out off the ends of thefibers held by the gripping devices with the least waste, substantiallyas described.

3. In a machine for hackling flax or other like fibers, the combinationwith gripping de- Vices, of a frame movably mounted on the frame of themachine, nipping-rollers carried by said movable frame, mechanism forreciprocating said frame Without stopping the machine, and means forindicating the position at which the nipping-rollers must be fixed forsets of fibers of different lengt-hs,whereby the ends of said fibers maybe cut with the least waste, substantially as described 4. In a machinefor hackling flax or other like fibers, the combination with grippingdevices for holding the fibers, a movable frame,

nipping-rollers mounted in said frame, mechanism for raising andlowering the said frame without stopping the machine, a graduated indexmovable with the frame parallel to the fibers, a pointer carried by theframe and a graduated index on the fixed frame of the machine parallelto the movable index, on the latter of which the pointer indicates thedistance above or below to which the nippingrollers must be moved forcutting each set of fibers, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for hackling flax or other like fibers, the combinationwith grippingplates for holding the fibers, amovable frame,nipping-rollers and guide-plate rollers car ried thereby, means forraising and lowering said frame to different positions with respect tothe gripping-plates without stopping the machine, and counterweights forbalancing said frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

R. W. KNOX.

Witnesses:

G. D. LOGAN, WM. MACKIE.

